Shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines



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K. SCHLEGEL SHUTTLE-HOLDING AND MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR SEWING AND QUILTING MACHINES Filed May 29, 1946 Nov. 14, 1950 I N V EN TOR. Kurt Schlegel IIIW, |||l ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, 1950 SHUTTLE-HOLDING AND MOUNTING MECH- ANISM FOR SEWING AND QUILTING MA- 'CHINES Kurt Schlegel, New York, N. Y.

Application May 29, 1946, Serial No. 673,133

6 Claims.

This invention relates to shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines and especially machines of the multineedle class.

It is desirable in devices of the character specified to support a shuttle in such manner that it may be operated or driven and guided with a minimum of friction on a race of the machine,

and prior art devices with this end in view have employed free floating shuttle-holders that merely supported the lower surface and nose of the shuttle, leaving completely free the upper portion of the shuttle-body which contains the thread-feed aperture and through which the thread is fed under suitable tension, and, consequently, the normal pull of the thread in the feeding operation frequently caused a tilting movement of the shuttle during reciprocating movement thereof and this results in friction between the shuttle and the throat-plate of the machine.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a shuttle-holder for machines of the class mentioned which, while permitting a fully-controlled movement of the shuttle, will so surround the entire body of the shuttle as to effectively prevent the aforesaid tilting and consequent friction, while permitting the driving of the shuttle in accurate alignment with the race of the machine.

Another object of my invention is to produce a shuttle-holder of the type specified that will provide a non-tilting guide for the entire body of the shuttle so as to greatly reduce and minimize the friction between the holder and the shuttle, and at the same time will guide the thread in its looping movement around the shuttle.

Still another object of my invention is to provide, in combination with a shuttle-engaging holder of the type specified which will support and guide the shuttle in such manner that any contact of the shuttle with the race will be evenly distributed, means for supporting and fastening said holder to cause the holder and the shuttle to be carried and moved in a true rectilinear line.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shuttle in which the pull of the thread feed will be resisted and balanced and the shuttle will be held by the holder against any upward tilting movement caused by the feeding-pull on the body of the shuttle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shuttle-holder that will not only support and efiectively guide the shuttle but will cause an interlocking engagement of the same not only at all the bottom but at the top and the opposite ends of the shuttle, and this support and guiding will be accomplished with a minimum of frictional engagement of the shuttle with the walls of the shuttle-holder. I

Another object of my invention is to provide a shuttle-holder or carrier that will retain the shuttle at all times in properly spaced relationship from all walls of the race-compartment except the shuttle-guiding wall.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coact and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a multineedle sewing or quilting machine equipped with shuttle holders embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a shuttle and a shuttle-holder or cradle embodying my invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the drive-bar, shuttle and shuttle-holder shown in Fig. 3 when removed from the machine; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In machines of the type hereinabove specified, shuttles have been mounted in stationary shuttle races, and reciprocating driving bars on which the shuttle is mounted have, as a rule, been used for propelling or moving said shuttles in a reciprocating path. It has heretofore been proposed to mount on such drive-bars a seat or support for the bottom or base portion of a shuttle while driving the same and my invention is an improvement upon said method and means which not only provides a support for a shuttle but also guides all parts of the same so as to more thoroughl eliminate frictional resistance to its propulsion, to guide the thread movement and permit more ready release of the threads during operation, so as to permit a higher acceleration of the speed of the machine than was possible with the aforesaid holders that merely supported the bottom or base part of the shuttle.

Referring now to these drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, a machine bed IQ is provided with a plurality of supporting bearings I Il2 which are mounted in a pair of rigid end bars l3 and I4. Upon the bars l3 and Hi, the ends of a plurality of spaced race-forming partition bars [5 are secured. Each of these bars comprises an L-shaped member and, as shown, the horizontal flanges of such members are fastened in place by screws 15* in such position that the partition portions of the members [5 will be maintained in upright position. A throat-plate I! is suitably mounted and provided with needle apertures such as l8 while beneath said apertures the partitions 15 are provided with registering open vertical slots I9 and needles are suitably mounted and adapted to operate through said needle apertures l8 and slots IS in conventional manner.

Cooperating with the needles on the machine is a corresponding series of shuttles 28 that are reciprocated past the vertical partition slots I?! by reciprocating drive-bars 21. These bars are independently mounted between the partitions l5 hereinabove described. These bars are supported and driven by a transversely-slidable shuttlereciprocating frame 22 comprising rods 6 which are slidably supported in bars 13 and i4 and extend through blocks 23 and 24, a pair of anchor bars 25 and 26 (Fig. 2) being interposed between the drive member 2i and the block 23 and 24 respectively. This shuttle driven frame is conventionally driven from any suitable source of power not shown, such as described, for example, in patent to Beck, #376,280 dated January th, 1888 or patent to, Boettcher #1218517 dated March 6th, 1917 and form no essential part of this invention.

Each driving bar 2| has one or more shuttlecages mounted thereon, as more particularly shown in Figs. 3, i and 5.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated, each of these cages comprises a vertically-disposed metal cage-plate 2'5 having a shuttle-receiving seat-opening 28 with an edge portion of a height and length sufficient to completely surround linearly a small external area of one of the shuttles 20, which area is disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to the flat bar-facing side or edge of the body portion of the shuttle and extends from a position adjacent to the nose or point portion of said shuttle to and around the rear end thereof. As illustrated, the shuttle-receiving seat-opening 2 8 is substantially similar in outline to the border line of the shuttle to be mounted therein but of a height adapted to provide spaces between the top and bottom. surfaces of the shuttle and the edge of the opening sufficient to permit the threads of the loops to, pass between the surface of the shuttleand the edge of said seat-opening 28. Thus, as the shuttle rests upon the lower edge of the seat-opening, the narrow space between the top surface of the body portion of the shuttle and, the top edge of the opening will be of a width 'which is at least equal to diameters of two threads, so that when such shuttle is raised off said lower edge by the passage of a loop thread beneath the same, there will still be space to permit this loop thread to pass above the shuttle and between it and the upper edge of the seatopening 28. Said seat-opening 28 i preferably produced by stamping out a portion of the metal of an initially flat plate, and while, as aforesaid, the edge portion of the seat-opening completely surrounds the body-portion of the shuttle, the entire nose or point portion projects outwardly toward the race-forming partition-bar I5 and forwardly from said seat-opening to enable ready and free engagement of the loop. Also extending outwardly from said seat-opening 28 is a marginal strip of the shuttle that lies adjacent to the straight or fiat bar-facing side thereof and within which the thread-dispensing hole is located, while the back or convex side of the said shuttle will extend through said seat-opening 28.

Metal of the cage-plate 2'! at the edges of the seat-opening 28 also is bent to provide two shelves integral with said plate 21 and comprising laterally-extending shuttle-supporting shelf 29 at the lower edge of said opening and a laterallyetxending top shelf or rib 30 at the upper edge thereof.

The metal of the plate 21 at the forward and rear ends of said opening is also formed and preferably stamped up to provide shuttle-contacting guide prongs 3! and 32, which function as stops to retain the shuttle in its operative position within the seat-opening 28 and to prevent excessive outward movement thereof through said seat-opening and away from a race-forming partition-bar l5 when, in said operative position, it is being reciprocated with its fiat side facing said bar l5. These prongs also loosely fit and rest against front and rear portions of the convexsurface of the shuttle to permit passage of the thread of the loop between the shuttle and said prongs.

The lower laterally-extending shelf 29 is adapted to serve as a support for the bottom or base portion 20 of the shuttle, and the upper shelf 39 is positioned to loosely fit and extend over the top portion of the shuttle but to leave between the top surface thereof and said shelf the said narrow space equal to at least the diameters or thicknesses of two threads of the loop hereinabove referred to.

The loop threads will thus be enabled to pass over the surfaces of the shuttle and between said shuttle and the upper and lower shelves 29 and 30, the portions of which at the edges of the seatopening are rounded so as to avoid any interference with the movement of the loop threads 7 above and below such portions.

The metal of the top shelf 30 is preferably also slightly boved laterally away from the bar I5 to provide a slightly curved surface facing said bar 65. This bowed or slightly-curved surface enables a free egress of the thread from the feeding aperture of the shuttle.

The front and rear prongs Si and 32 have curvatures and depths which generally conform in angularity and shape with the front and rear portions, respectively, of the back of the shuttle 20. The front prong 3| is so positioned as to cause the nose 28 of the shuttle to extendforwardly of the line of connection of said prong member 31 with the edge of the seat-opening. Said forward prong 3| conforms to the angularity of the forward portion of the shuttle at said forward end thereof while the rear prong 32 conforms in shape or curvature with the rear end of the shuttle.

I also preferably provide an improved mounting for my shuttle-carrying cage and, with this end in view, the bar 2| is provided with a vertical kerf 2'! and the cage plate 21 is extended downwardly below the cage-portion to provide a flange 33 that enters the kerf 2'! of the drive bar 2|. The said flange 33 is provided with notches 3435 which are adapted to fit over screws 36 and 31 which pass sidewise through the bar 2| and when screwed home draw the sides of the kerf together to squeeze and interlock with the notches in the flange 33. There will thus be an interlocking engagement between the plate 27 and said drive bar 2|. A mounting of this type insures accurate registration and alignment of the shuttle with the needle and thread-guiding surface of the race bar.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines comprising, the combination with a slidable support for a shuttledrive-bar, a shuttle-drive bar mounted on said support, a race-partition arranged adjacent to said drive-bar and a shuttle having a flat surface facing and reciprocable along said race-partition, of a shuttle-mounting cage member mounted on said shuttle-drive-bar and provided with a shuttle seat having a bottom edge provided with a shuttle supporting portion on which the shuttle is adapted to rest and a top portion functioning as a guide bar adapted to prevent excessive tilting movement of the shuttle and extending above the upper surface of the shuttle in substantially parallel relationship to the flat partition-facing surface thereof, and means connected with said cage member and adapted to engage a portion of the shuttle and to retain said shuttle in alignment with said race-partition, whereby the entire shuttle is loosely supported and held against excessive lifting and tilting movements during reciprocation and passage thereof through the needle thread loops.

2. A shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines embodying, the combination with a slidable support for a shuttledrive-bar, a shuttle-drive-bar mounted on said support, a race-partition arranged adjacent to said drive-bar, and a shuttle having a flat surface facing and reciprocable along said race-partition,

of a shuttle-mounting cage member comprising a vertically-extending flat plate provided with a shuttle seat having its edge linearly surrounding the body portion of said shuttle from a point adjacent to the nose to the rear end thereof, said shuttle seat having integrally formed therein a shuttle-supporting shelf on which the shuttle is adapted to rest and an integrally-formed inwardly-extending top shelf functioning as a guide-bar, said shelves extending linearly in substantially parallel relationship to the flat surface of the shuttle along the lower and upper surfaces thereof, and means connected with said cage member adapted to engage the back portion of the shuttle and to retain said shuttle in alignment with said race-partition, whereby the entire shuttle is loosely supported and held against excessive lifting and tilting movements during reciprocation and passage thereof through the needle loops.

3. A shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines embodying, the combination with a slidable support for a shuttledrive-bar, a shuttle-drive-bar mounted on said support, a race-partition arranged adjacent to said drive-bar, and a shuttle having a flat surface facing and reciprocable along said race-partition,

of a shuttle-mounting cage member comprising a vertically extending flat plate provided with a shuttle seat having its edge linearly surround:- ing the body portion of said shuttle from a point adjacent to the nose to the rear end thereof, said shuttle seat having an integrally-formedshuttlesupporting shelf on which the shuttle is adapted to rest and an integrally-formed inwardly-extending top shelf functioning as a guide-bar, said shelves extending linearly in substantially parallel relationship to the flat partition-facing surface of the shuttle along the lower and upper surfaces thereof, means comprising rearwardly curved guide prongs connected to the front and rear portions of the seat to form the rear wall of the cage member, said prongs being free at their outer ends and extending centrally across said shuttle back portion from opposite ends toward the middle thereof.

4. A shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines embodying, the combination with a slidablesupport for a shuttle-drive-bar, a shuttle-driVe-bar mounted on said support, a race-partition arranged adjacent to said drive-bar, and a shuttle having a flat surface facing and reciprocable along said race-partition, of a shuttle-mounting cage member comprising a vertically-extending flat metal plate provided with a shuttle seat having its edge linearly surrounding the body portion of said shuttle from a point adjacent to the nose to the rear end thereof, said shuttle seat having an integrally formed shuttle-supporting shelf on which the shuttle is adapted to rest and an integrally-formed inwardly-extending top shelf functioning as a guide-bar, said shelves extending substantially parallel to the flat surface of the shuttle along the upper and lower surfaces thereof, and means comprising rearwardlycurved guide prongs formed integrally from the metal of said plate and connected to the front and rear portions of the seat to form the rear wall of the cage, said prongs being free at their outer ends projecting centrally across said shuttle back portion from opposite ends toward the middle thereof.

5. A shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines embodying, the combination with a slidable support for a shuttle-drive-bar, a shuttle-drive-bar mounted on said support, a race-partition arranged adjacent to said drive-bar, and a shuttle having a surface facing and reciprocable along said racepartition, of a shuttle-mounting cage member comprising a vertically-extending flat plate provided with a shuttle seat having its edge linearly surrounding the body portion of said shuttle from a point adjacent to the nose to the rear end thereof, said shuttle seat having a shuttle-supporting shelf on which the shuttle is adapted to rest and an inwardly-extending top shelf functioning as a guide-bar, means connected with said cage member adapted to engage the back of the shuttle and to retain said shuttle in alignment with said race-partition, said fiat plate having a vertical flange extending below said shuttleseat portion, and said drive-bar having a kerf extending parallel with said race partition in which said vertical flange is mounted.

6. A shuttle-holding and mounting mechanism for sewing and quilting machines embodying, the combination with a slidable support for a shuttle-drive-bar, a shuttle-drive-bar mounted on said support, a race-partition arranged adjacent to said drive-bar, and a shuttle having a surface '7 facing and reciprocable along said race-partition, of a shuttle-mounting cage member comprising a vertically-extending fiat metal plate provided with a shuttle seat having its edge linearly surrounding the body portion of said shuttle from a point adjacent to the nose to the rear end thereof, said shuttle seat having a shuttle supporting shelf on which the shuttle is adapted to rest and an inwardly extending top shelf functioning as a guide-bar, means connected with said cage member adapted to engage the back of the shuttle and to retain said shuttle in alignment with said race-partition, said fiat plate having a vertical flange extending below said shuttle-seat portion and provided with vertically-disposed notches, said drive bar having a kerf extending parallel with said race-partition l 8 in which said cage flange is mounted and also being provided with screws extending laterally through said bar to interlock with the verticallydisposed notches of said vertical flange.

KURT SCHLEGEL.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 334,955 Koch Jan. 26, 1886 376,280 Beck Jan. 10, 1888 1,218,517 Boettcher Mar. 6, 1917 2,044,163 Giraud June 16, 1936 

